**Yesterday morning marked the beginning of the Data X ESS Expedition**, an event organized to identify open data that can provide concrete solutions for entities within the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE). The session took place at Torre Jussana, Barcelona, with the participation of 23 individuals, including data experts, visualization specialists, and representatives from the sector.
### **Introduction and Context of the Event**
The session began with a presentation by Carlos Guadián, who contextualized the main challenges of the SSE and the importance of using data to improve decision-making. He emphasized that SSE includes economic activities oriented toward internal democracy, active participation, and positive social impact, prioritizing the community over profit.
Following this, Lourdes Muñoz, director of Iniciativa Barcelona Open Data, explained the organization’s work to facilitate access to open data. She highlighted the need for digital tools to visualize key aspects of the SSE and stressed that the session would focus on identifying and working with relevant data for the sector.
### **Task Assignment and Work Dynamics**
After the initial talks, participants organized into five working groups, each focusing on a specific category: entities, governance and participation, economic dimension, external knowledge, and social inclusion. Each team chose a theme and formulated hypotheses to locate datasets that could provide useful information to validate them.
Throughout the session, a total of 48 datasets were explored, distributed as follows:
– **Group 1 (Entities):** 3 datasets
– **Group 2 (Governance and Participation):** 9 datasets
– **Group 3 (External Knowledge):** 4 datasets
– **Group 4 (Economic Dimension):** 8 datasets
– **Group 5 (Entities):** 24 datasets
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### **Presentation of Results by Group**
During the results presentation session, each group shared their preliminary findings and hypotheses:
– **Group 1 – Entities:**
Focused on analyzing the economic weight of the cooperative sector, representing 3% of the economy. They also examined the lifespan of cooperatives based on official records but noted significant data gaps that complicated some analyses.
– **Group 2 – Governance and Participation:**
Analyzed the number of members involved in cooperative formation over time to assess resilience. They raised questions about missing data and potential sources to better understand the causes behind observed trends.
– **Group 3 – External Knowledge:**
Explored search trends related to social economies on Google, highlighting seasonal drops in summer. They also analyzed the percentage of socially oriented purchases across age groups, with the 45-year-old bracket standing out as the most significant.
– **Group 4 – Economic Dimension:**
Focused on analyzing subsidies, particularly in the caregiving sector, with 2023 identified as the most subsidized year. They also observed high fluctuations in energy supply data, such as with Som Energia, depending on market conditions.
– **Group 5 – Entities:**
Examined the presence of women in governance bodies of SSE entities. The data indicated a relatively stable female presence with a slight decrease. They suggested the need for comparative studies to deepen the understanding of this trend.
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### **Preliminary Conclusions and Next Steps**
During the closing session, participants emphasized the need to continue improving access to and quality of available data to strengthen strategic decision-making. They committed to ongoing collaboration in data research to address identified challenges and proposed organizing future sessions to share final results.
The Data X ESS Expedition was a significant step forward in promoting the Social and Solidarity Economy in Barcelona, highlighting the value of open data as a tool for driving real change in the sector.
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### **Expedition Results**
– Work was carried out on 24 hypotheses and a total of 53 data sets across different dimensions.
– 48 useful datasets were identified for analysis.
– The data provides a solid foundation for developing an accessible visualization system that enables entities and experts to better understand the impact of SSE in the city.
– Data visualization tools will help detect patterns and trends, facilitating the formulation of strategies that promote the development of SSE in various areas.
– The results help identify information gaps to address in future data collection initiatives and proposals to improve information quality.
We extend our gratitude to everyone who participated in the session for their dedication and interest in applying their knowledge and skills to strengthen SSE entities through data research.
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### **Documents to Consider**
– **Starting Point for the Data X ESS Datathon**
– **Data X ESS: Working Document**